Tag: Caleb Surratt

North Carolina’s David Ford birdies final hole to cap wire-to-wire win at 2023 Jones Cup

David Ford came up clutch.

David Ford won the Jones Cup Invitational in dramatic fashion late Sunday afternoon when he made a birdie putt on the 18th hole at the Ocean Forest Golf Club on Sea Island, Georgia, to bring the first tournament of the 2023 season in amateur golf to a rousing conclusion.

Ford’s 18-foot downhill putt at the par-4 finishing hole, which plays along the seashore, gave him a one-shot victory against Caleb Surratt and also landed the Peachtree Corners, Georgia, native his second amateur golf major championship in less than six full months.

Ford, a sophomore at North Carolina, won the Southern Amateur last July at Sea Island Golf Club’s Plantation Course when he tied the tournament scoring record of 20-under par.

At Ocean Forest, Ford led after all three rounds and ended up at 12 under for the championship after carding a 69 in Sunday’s final round. He shot 67 in round one on Friday and 68 in the second round on Saturday on the demanding par-72 layout designed by Rees Jones, which played 7,308 yards this week.

“I’m very thankful for both of them,” Ford said of winning both the long-running Southern Am and now the 19th Jones Cup. “The experience here was just as good as the Southern Am. Both events were amazing.”

This week’s Jones Cup field was as deep as any that may be assembled later this season in amateur golf. The tournament attracted 40 of the top 100 players in the Golfweek/Amateur.com rankings including nine of the top 25 players in those same rankings.

Ford came into 2023 ranked No. 21 in those world rankings.

There wasn’t anyone in the field who Ford respected more than Caleb Surratt, who was ranked No. 24 coming into this week.

He led the University of Tennessee freshman by two strokes going into the final round, and they battled all the way to the finish for the victory along the Georgia coast.

“It feels really good to beat some of the really, really highly-ranked players,” Ford said, “and Caleb Surratt is one of those who comes to mind. He was at the Southern Am as well, but his ranking has moved up since then. He’s one of the best players I’ve ever played with. He’s a guy who I think a lot of people who love to say they beat just because of how good he is. He doesn’t go away. He’s one of the best mentally and physically, so he’s pretty awesome.”

To read the full story, click here to read that and more from our friends at AmateurGolf.com, who were at the Jones Cup all weekend.

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Is this the best amateur golf event you’ve never heard of? The second East West Matches should bring fireworks

The East West Matches bring together some of the best amateurs, mid-ams and senior amateurs in the United States.

In its infancy, the East West Matches is maybe the best amateur golf event you’ve never heard of.

The second playing of the event is set to tee off this weekend, Nov. 4-6.

The brainchild of two-time USGA champion and former Walker Cup participant Scott Harvey, the East West Matches combine some of the best amateurs, mid-ams and senior amateurs in the United States. The Ryder Cup-style event features two amateur players, six senior amateurs and 10 mid-amateur players per side.

The matches are back at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas, where the inaugural Cup was won in dramatic fashion by the West in 2020. In fact, the man that clinched the winning half-point for the West, Patrick Christovich, is back to help the West defend their title. 

Captained by 2005 U.S. Mid-Am champion, Kevin Marsh, the West has experience under pressure on its side. Returning Skip Berkmeyer, Derek Busby, Patrick Christovich, Brad Nurski and Robert Funk, the West is armed with a crew that went 9-9-1 and was a large part of the West’s monstrous 23-22 comeback win back in 2020.

In addition, the West has two amateur players ranked inside the top 110 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings — Pepperdine’s Derek Hitchner and Arizona State’s Luke Potter are ranked Nos. 105 and 38 in WAGR, respectively. The two should give a spark of energy to their mid-am and senior-am teammates.

The West celebrates its 23-22 comeback win over the East at the inaugural East West Matches (2020) at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas.

On the East side, there’s a sense of hunger and redemption. The East is also returning five players from their 2020 team. A murderer’s row of amateur golf talent that had a combined 2020 record of 15-4-1 but left Maridoe empty-handed.

Joe Deraney, Jeronimo Esteve, Scott Harvey, Doug Hanzel and Bob Royak look to take down the West this year and stake claim to what they came so close to having two years ago. The strength of the East team lies in both seniors and young gun amateurs.

Both Hanzel and Royak went 4-0-0 in the 2020 Matches. Now they bolster their lineup even more with the addition of Golfweek’s No. 1 ranked senior amateur Rusty Strawn. Tried and true, the colts in the East’s stable of talent are Alabama’s Nick Dunlap and Tennessee’s Caleb Surratt.

Dunlap was Golfweek’s No. 1 ranked recruit in the 2022 class and the 2021 AJGA Boys Golfer of the Year. Surratt is currently ranked No. 15 in WAGR and is the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up.

Who’s running the stable for the East, you ask? That would be two-time Walker Cup captain Nathaniel Crosby.

The East has brought out the big guns, but will they be able to redeem themselves after such a disappointing finish in 2020? 

Time will tell and if we learned anything from the inaugural East West Matches, we know that anything can happen over the course of three days at Maridoe Golf Club.

Full Rosters

Mid-Amateurs

East: Andrew Bailey, Evan Beck, Chip Brooke, Mark Costanza, Joe Deraney, Jeronimo Esteve, Scott Harvey, Matt Mattare, Tug Maude, Chad Wilfong

West: Jason Anthony, Skip Berkmeyer, Denny Bull, Derek Busby, Patrick Christovich, Nick Guyer, Colby Harwell, John Hunter, Brad Nurski, John Swain

Senior Amateurs

East: Doug Hanzel, Steve Harwell, Billy Mitchell, Bob Royak, Rusty Strawn, Matt Sughrue

West: Tommy Brennan, Jon Brown, Robert Funk, John McClure, Mike McCoy, Mike Rowley

Amateurs

East: Nick Dunlap (Alabama) & Caleb Surratt (Tennessee)

West: Derek Hitchner (Pepperdine) & Luke Potter (Arizona State)

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2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship third round takeaways include those looking to get back in the winner’s circle, others getting there for first time

Contenders include golfers looking to end droughts or win for the first time.

The wind picked up Saturday at Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda on Saturday, but it didn’t affect everyone from going low.

Moving day lived up to its mantra during the third round of the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship. Plenty of golfers made big moves up the leaderboard, including leaders Seamus Power and Ben Griffin, while others faded.

In fact, by getting to 18 under, Power and Griffin each set the 54-hole tournament record.

In the first of two straight PGA Tour events outside of the United States, there are numerous golfers looking to find their way back into the winner’s circle while others are looking to hoist a trophy for the first time.

Here are some takeaways from the third round of the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Butterfield Bermuda: Leaderboard | Photos | Final round tee times

Men’s college golf notebook: Another member of the 60 club, freshmen make their mark

Here’s what you missed in the men’s college golf world.

Ryan Eshleman came close to making college golf history in the desert.

The junior at Auburn stepped to the 18th tee at Mirabel Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, at 10 under for the day. 11 birdies, one bogey and five pars in Eshleman’s first 17 holes. A birdie on the 18th would mean becoming the first college golfer to shoot 59.

He made it on the green with an opportunity for birdie. Eshleman hit the putt, and it tracked toward the hole yet died right before reaching it, leading to a tap-in par.

He signed for a 10-under 60, setting the new mark for lowest round in Auburn history. He became the 16th men’s golfer to card a 60 in college golf all time.

Eshleman ended up finishing T-8, as Auburn captured the Maui Jim Intercollegiate, finishing at 45 under. That mark set a new school record for lowest three-round score in school history, and the 22-under mark after the first round set a single-round record. In addition, the Tigers also set new program marks for lowest 18- and 36-hole scores. Arizona State came in second place at 40 under, which was its lowest three-round score in program history.

Tennessee freshman Caleb Surratt won the individual competition, shooting an 18-under 192. He beat Florida State’s Cole Anderson by three shots. The Volunteers also set a new 54-hole program scoring record.

2022 Maui Jim Intercollegiate
Tennessee’s Caleb Surratt holds the trophy after winning the Maui Jim Intercollegiate. (Photo: Tennessee Athletics)

Speaking of a 59 watch, there was more than one performance that nearly tried to reshape the college record books.

Lipscomb’s Jason Hong was 12 under after 15 holes at Streamsong Resort’s Blue Course, needing one birdie in his final three holes to shoot a 59 (par-72 layout). Hong parred the first then made eight straight birdies to close the front nine. He started the back nine with two consecutive pars before four straight birdies. He narrowly missed a birdie putt on the par-3 16th, but Hong made bogey on the 690-yard par-5 17th. A par at the last, and he signed for an 11-under 61.

The round set a new Streamsong Blue course record and a Lipscomb 18-hole record.

Hong finished in third place at 15-under 201, five shots behind Virginia freshman Ben James, who had 18 birdies, an eagle and no bogeys en route to his victory. Virginia also won the Streamsong Invitational, shooting 56 under to set a new program mark for a 54-hole low score. The Cavaliers topped Lipscomb by seven shots to win.

Meanwhile, Georgia Southern is continuing to show why it’s the best men’s mid-major in college golf. The Eagles won the Gopher Invitational in Independence, Minnesota, by five shots over Kansas and Kent State. Georgia Southern shot 20-under 832, including a 9-under final round to pull away for victory. Wilson Andress came away with the individual victory for Georgia Southern at 11-under 202, beating Coastal Carolina’s Garrett Cooper by two shots. U.S. Amateur runner-up Ben Carr finished T-10 at 5 under for the Eagles.

There was a crazy finish at the VCU Shootout, where the hosts and Charleston Southern went four playoff holes before determining the winner. VCU and Charleston Southern each finished at 36-under 828 for the tournament, but it was the latter coming away with the late win. George Washington University finished a shot out of the playoff.

Cameron Jourdan covers college and amateur golf for Golfweek. Got a college or amateur story? Email him at cjourdan@golfweek.com.

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Wenyi Ding, 17, wins 74th U.S. Junior Amateur, becomes first male from China to win USGA championship

Ding is the first men’s player from China to win any USGA championship.

Wenyi Ding made history on Saturday.

After losing his first two holes during the 74th U.S. Junior Amateur at Bandon Dunes in Oregon, Ding played great en route to his 3-and-2 victory over Caleb Surratt to capture the championship.

Ding is the first male player from China to win any United States Golf Association championship, and he’s the second who made the final of the U.S. Junior Amateur, following Bo Jin in 2019. Ding is also the first international champion since Min Woo Lee in 2016.

With the victory, Ding earned an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. He and Surratt, who will attend Tennessee in the fall, were both already exempt into next month’s U.S. Amateur.

Ding, 17, is committed to Arizona State and has one year left before his college career begins.

The duo came in as the highest ranked players in the World Amateur Golf Rankings competing in the championship (Surratt at No. 19 and Ding at No. 20), and the final match certainly lived up to the hype.

Surratt started the 36-hole championship match great, winning the first two holes to take an early advantage. Ding fought back, winning the fourth hole with a par and the seventh with a birdie to tie it. Then, he won three straight holes on Nos. 10-12 to go 3 up. Surratt stopped the bleeding with a birdie on the par-4 14th, but Ding responded, winning the 15th hole to go into the lunch break 3 up.

That’s when the rout started. Ding won five of the first 10 holes during the pair’s second 18, and Surratt didn’t win any. Ding’s lead reached 8 up with 8 to play after a great second shot into the par-4 10th settled just a couple feet from the hole, giving him an easy birdie.

Surratt wouldn’t go down without a fight. After taking a drop on the par-4 11th, Ding dropped the hole with his first bogey on the second half of the day. Surratt proceeded to birdie the par-3 12th and par-5 13th hole to make it 5 down with 5 to play.

Ding’s approach shot to the 14th hole nearly hit the flag stick and settled just behind the hole. Surratt one-upped Ding, his approach hitting the flag stick and deflecting off the pin just left of the hole. Ding conceded the putt, and his birdie lipped out, extending the match yet again.

On the par-3 15th hole, Surrat’s shot settled on the green while Ding wasn’t on after three shots, so Ding conceded the hole, making it 3 up with 3 to play.

On the par-4 16th, both players hit their tee shots pin high and left of the flag. Ding’s approach settled close to the hole, and Surratt’s was left. His birdie putt missed, and Ding closed with a par of his own to half the hole and clinch the match.

The only other players from China to win a USGA championship are Alice Jo at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and Lei Yi at the 2019 U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur.

Ding made 11 birdies and one eagle during the championship match. Surratt hadn’t trailed in match play until Saturday.

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Caleb Surratt first to repeat as Terra Cotta Invitational champion

Caleb Surratt came back to make history and he did just that at the 26th Terra Cotta Invitational.

NAPLES, Fla. — Caleb Surratt came back to make history.

The University of Tennessee commit did just that — emphatically — becoming the first to win back-to-back at the 26th Terra Cotta Invitational at Naples National Golf Club on Sunday.

Surratt shot a 4-under 68 to finish at 14-under 202, seven ahead of Virginia commit Ben James.

“It’s pretty spectacular,” Surratt said. “I’ve been working pretty hard and I knew I could do it. I came out here with a great game plan and sure enough it worked out, and it was stress-free. It was really a great day.”

Peter Uihlein had the largest margin of victory at eight in 2007. Jorge Garcia shot 202 to win in 2015, so Surratt tied that mark. Surratt shot a 213 last year to win by three.

Sunday, Nicholas Prieto, a South Florida commit, and Luke Clanton, a Florida State commit, tied for third at 5-under 210. Filip Jakubcik from the Czech Republic was fifth at 211.

Workday was the presenting sponsor for the second straight year, with Bentley of Naples and Titleist Foot-Joy as other major sponsors. Charitable proceeds this year will go to Youth Haven, as well as other children’s charities.

The tournament changed formats from match play — there was a stroke-play seeding round — to full stroke play in 2006. Danny Green won it twice in the match-play era, in 2000 and 2004, but no one had ever won back-to-back.

However, many of the champions since the event switched to stroke play have not returned to defend because they were either going off to college or turning professional. Davis Riley, who now plays on the PGA Tour, was the closest to repeat, winning in 2014 and coming in second to Garcia in 2015.

Surratt started the final round one stroke ahead of Prieto, and no one was closer than seven from Prieto.

But that quickly changed.

After each birdied the first hole, Prieto stumbled with a double bogey on the second to put Surratt ahead by three. Surratt extended the lead with a 20-foot birdie on No. 6, and after Prieto had back-to-back bogeys on the next two holes, the lead was six at the turn.

“I had a long talk with myself before I teed off ‘I’m not going out there and try to win. I’m just going to go out there and figure out how to play every hole on every tee box,'” Surratt said.

“Not much went my way,” Prieto said. “I had a shot at winning, which is good this first time playing.”

James, playing a group in front, made a charge with three birdies on the back on the way to a 5-under 67, the best score of the day.

Surratt birdied Nos. 15 and 17 to remove any possible chance of James or someone else catching up.

“Sometimes it’s fun playing with someone who’s playing that well,” Prieto said.” It gives you good visuals, just seeing kids drop putts like that. It makes you play better as well, which is what I did yesterday when I played with him.”

Mykhailo “Misha” Golod, the 15-year-old who escaped from Ukraine in mid-March, tied for ninth. He started out with three birdies on his first five holes, but bogeyed the next three, and ended up at 1-over 73. He next play in an American Junior Golf Association tournament in Savannah, Georgia, next Friday, just his third in months.

“It was an awesome week,” Golod said. “I really enjoyed it. The golf course was just pristine. I was not able to play good today. Unfortunately wasn’t my best stuff, but I held it in, I never gave up so I still posted a half-decent score. Thankfully I got in the top 10 so I’m seeing a lot of hard work pay off, especially on the greens.”

Gulf Coast High School’s Noah Kent, an Iowa commit, was the top local finisher, tying for 28th after a 75 for a 222 total. Former Gulf Coast golfer Remi Chartier, who is headed back to the NCAA Tournament with East Tennessee State, tied for 39th. John Daly’s son John II, who plays at Arkansas, shot a 1-under 71 to tie for 54th at 229.

Next year, Surratt plans on going for a three-peat if the Volunteers’ schedule allows.

“I knew I was going to come back here as soon as I won last year,” Surratt said. “I have full intention to come back next year as long as our college season doesn’t prevent it.

“Hopefully I’ll be back, but if not, I’ll try to be back the next year. This is probably one of my favorite places and it’s an honor to be here, so I don’t know why I’d never come back.”

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Ukrainian Misha Golod three shots off lead at Terra Cotta Invitational

Misha Golod has captivated the golf world since escaping the war-torn country of Ukraine to the U.S. in March.

NAPLES, Fla. — A pair of familiar faces are near the top of the 26th annual Terra Cotta Invitational after the first round.

Defending champion Caleb Surratt, an 18-year-old University of Tennessee commit, is leading, and Ukrainian Misha Golod, who has captivated the golf world since escaping the war-torn country to the U.S. in March, isn’t too far behind at Naples National Golf Club on Friday.

Surratt, from Indian Trail, North Carolina, was 3 under before a bogey at No. 8, but he bounced back with three straight birdies on Nos. 11-13 and added another at No. 15.

He made two difficult pars on Nos. 9 and 10 before getting that first birdie from 15 feet. Surratt bogeyed No. 16, then parred the last two to finish three strokes ahead of Golod.

“It’s kind of discipline, I think I know what it takes around here to play well and I kind of stuck to that same game plan, no matter how great things were going or bad things were going,” Surratt said. “I think it’s important to not get too aggressive, but play aggressively smart around here.”

Golod’s story was first told in Golf Digest in early March, and from there the golf world rose to the occasion to raise funds and awareness to help him get out of the country. He arrived in Orlando on March 11, and received a scholarship at the David Leadbetter Academy and received housing accommodations. A Leadbetter instructor is with him in Naples this weekend.

Golod was an honorary starter at the Players Championship shortly after coming to America, and then got to take in practice rounds at the Masters and attend the Golf Writers Association of America banquet in Augusta a few weeks ago.

The 15-year-old had only played one golf tournament in a few months, but shook off any rust for one day at least. He bogeyed three of his first five holes, but sank a 25-foot, breaking birdie putt at No. 7, a challenging par save at No. 8, and birdied Nos. 9 and 10 to get to even par. Golod saved a bogey on No. 11, but responded with birdies on Nos. 14, 15 and 16, then parred the last two for a 70.

“I’m obviously delighted with the score, and to make a comeback,” Golod said. “It’s awesome to make that comeback to get to 2 under par. Hopefully I give myself a chance on Sunday.

“I was pretty much as relaxed as I could but because obviously I’m probably one of the youngest players in here, and it’s the first time playing in this tournament and I’m just happy and having fun. We’re just out there smiling all day long, so it was awesome.”

Nicholas Prieto, a 17-year-old from Miami, is in second, a stroke behind Surratt. Ben James, a Virginia commit from Connecticut, is in third after a 69. Canadian Jean-Philippe Parr is tied for fourth with Golod. Luke Poulter, and a University of Florida commit and the 18-year-old son of tour pro Ian Poulter, is tied for sixth at 71 with Florida State commit Luke Clanton of Miami Lakes.

Lucas Fallotico, one of several FGCU men’s golfers in the field, is the top local player, tied for 13th at 1 over par.

The second round is Saturday, with leaders teeing off at 10:12 a.m. ET The final round is Sunday.

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2022 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley featured number of firsts, including playoffs and a girls’ field

This year’s Junior Invitational will be memorable for multiple reasons.

GRANITEVILLE, S.C. — By the time the gold jacket ceremony rolled around Saturday, the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley had seen a number of firsts for the event.

For the first time in the tournament’s history a playoff was required to decide a champion. If that wasn’t enough, both boys and girls fields went to one-hole playoffs. Indian Trail, North Carolina product Caleb Surratt took the gold jacket for the boys and Denmark native Amalie Leth-Nissen secured the girls’ title.

This was Surratt’s first start in the Junior invitational and his last, as the University of Tennessee commit will be heading to college in the fall.

“I can’t really process it yet. Golf isn’t what defines me and it’s not what makes my self worth go up or down, nor my confidence,” he said. “On the other side of that, it is pretty amazing on my golf life and will definitely give me some confidence moving forward. It shows me that my good golf is good enough, still.”

Leth-Nissen, on the other hand, will always exist in the record books as the first girls’ champion of the Junior Invitational. That fact was still sinking in after the trophy ceremony.

“I’m so honored and thankful for this and it’s also my first international win, so this is huge for me,” she said.

Surratt entered the final round leading after a Thursday 67 and Friday 65 (the low round of the tournament). Luke Potter (who shot 68-66 in the first two rounds) trailed Surratt by one stroke through 17 holes Saturday, but an errant tee shot on No. 18 left the door open for Potter.

“There was a lot of wind off the left and I kind of rushed that tee shot, wanted to get it in play and then I hit it right,” Surratt said. “Unfortunately I had to punch out and I actually hit a really good punch out where I could get a wedge in, but it clipped the last branch and into the rough. From there, we were just trying to get it into the playoff.”

After losing a lead and going into a playoff scenario, that situation can cause many a competitor to fold. For Surratt, it was important to take it one shot at a time and put the past in the rearview mirror.

“I kind of just kept telling myself I need to roll with the punches,” he said. “That was my thought all week and finishing bogey-bogey in regulation and one of them not being a bad shot, it’s very easy to get wrapped up in that and carry it over. I felt like we did a great job of resetting. It was just awesome to see how it worked.”

Heading into Saturday, it appeared University of Southern California commit Bailey Shoemaker was going to run away with it. Leth-Nissen was riding the momentum of a Friday 68, but she still began the day seven shots back — that was until a birdie putt on No. 18 and the first of two memorable fist pumps from the 17-year-old.

“I think going into this round, I was seven shots behind and I didn’t even think about winning. It was just all about working on my own game and trying my best. Going into 18 one shot behind, knowing I had to make that birdie, so my adrenaline was really pumping on that putt. It was such a relief to pull that down.”

The playoff on No. 18 began similarly to the regulation hole, but Leth-Nissen had a bit of trouble lining up her approach shot. She stepped off the ball a number of times to swat away a few bugs, but it didn’t shake her as she landed the shot on the backside of the green within 10 feet of the pin. A putt and another fist pump later, she was a champion.

Following the putt, several of Leth-Nissen’s peers rushed out on to the green and doused her with bottles of water in celebration. One of the finer aspects of this tournament is that lifelong friendships can be found amongst the fierce competition.

“It’s really nice because hopefully in the future we will see each other on tours and stuff, so already getting friendships here is really important,” she said. “It’s really nice that Sage Valley makes us feel comfortable and makes that happen for us.”

Friday’s second round was briefly interrupted with the threat of inclement weather in the afternoon. Lightning wasn’t in the area, so tournament officials decided it was safe enough for players to resume play. What players found, however, were swirling winds on the second-nine, creating a new set of challenges for an already difficult course.

“It definitely got longer,” Leth-Nissen said after completing play Friday. The shots to the green were a bit more difficult, because it was hard to find out which way the wind was coming with the trees and all, so you have to be better at your short game.

This event was three years in the making, as the SVJI Sports Foundation had originally announced the addition of a girls’ field back in 2019. The addition was supposed to start in 2021, but had to be pushed back a year due to COVID-19 concerns. This week showed the competition was well worth the wait.

“Sometimes I feel like, ‘Should I even be here?’ It’s crazy to think on 24 girls would be invited to this,” Virginia commit Jaclyn LaHa said Friday. “To be one of the first 24 girls is a privilege and it’s really nice.”

Seven of the 24-player Junior Invitational girls’ field will also be competing in the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur at the end of the month: Leth-Nissen (1st), Shoemaker (1st), Alexa Pano (3rd), Megha Ganne (2nd), Jeong Hyun Lee (1st), Shannon Tan (1st) and Avery Zweig (1st).

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There may be no hotter player in junior golf than Caleb Surratt, the recent PGA Junior champ now cruising through the U.S. Junior

Is there a junior player on a better streak than Caleb Surratt right now?

Not surprisingly, doors flew open for Caleb Surratt when he learned how to win. After a 2020 golf season during which Surratt appeared in the final pairing in the final round over and over, but never came home with anything to show for it, something clicked in April at the Terra Cotta Invitational.

“I’ve got to disconnect from results and not waste my energy on reacting to shots,” Surratt explained. “I felt like I used to try to control everything that happens. Just kind of in that final round (at Terra Cotta) is when it finally clicked, I’m going to put all my energy into my process over the ball and then wherever the ball goes, goes.”

It’s an epiphany that took quite a bit of time. Surratt has spent lots of energy with swing instructor Chase Duncan in Raleigh, North Carolina – near the Surratts’ home of Indian Trails, North Carolina – working not only through the finer points of closing but also improving his golf swing and finding a process that works for him.

Scores: U.S. Junior Amateur

He used to get lazy over shots, he remembers, and sometimes come down under plane, which caused him to lose his posture at the ball. It was a move, he said, that was “not very high-competitive profile.” Add that fix, which has taken quite a bit of work plus physical and mental maturity, and Surratt’s presence on leaderboard after leaderboard isn’t all that surprising.

Surratt’s is one of the great growth stories in junior golf right now. He’s the recent Western Junior champion and entered this week’s U.S. Junior off a win last week at the Junior PGA Championship.

“I really want to win the U.S. Junior, to be honest with you,” Surratt said when asked for his next goal. “That was the goal at the start of the year, and I’m still in a position to do that.”

At the Country Club of North Carolina this week, there have been many mini wins. Rounds of 70-67 set him up with the No. 5 spot on the bracket. He narrowly dispatched Daniel Choi in the first round of match play, 1 up, and took down Rowan Sullivan in the next round by a more comfortable 5-and-4 margin.

Remarkably, given his resume, this is Surratt’s debut in the U.S. Junior. He has seemingly been in the conversation at every major junior event for a year: runner-up at the 2020 Dustin Johnson World Junior, third at the 2020 Ping Invitational and runner-up again at the 2020 Jones Cup Junior. He has top-10 finishes already this year at the Scott Robertson, Team TaylorMade Invitational and Wyndham Invitational.

“I just think, over the years, I feel like I’ve really just matured physically,” he said. “My body has gotten a lot stronger and I’ve been able to hit a lot of different shots but mainly I feel like I’m working with some great coaches now.”

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As Surratt moves toward a college career at Tennessee (he has verbally committed for the fall of 2022), he’s also looking at ways to break through on Tour. He narrowly missed Monday qualifying into the Palmetto Championship earlier this summer and has played Monday qualifiers for the Wells Fargo and Wyndham Championship, too.

Despite an early-week announcement that the Junior Ryder Cup has been canceled this fall because of COVID-19 reasons (the European team will not travel to Whistling Straits in light of the lingering pandemic), Surratt can expect some facetime with the Ryder Cup team, too.

Surratt was the first player named to the junior team last week when he won the Junior PGA Championship at Kearney Hills in Lexington, Kentucky. He called making the team a lifelong goal, and is thankful U.S. team members will still be invited to Whistling Straits for the event.

“I’m honestly really happy they’re still making it happen that way we can still go hang out with all our friends and have a great week and still feel like it’s truly going on even though Europe won’t be able to come,” he said. “I’m excited for the experience, I think it’s still going to be really good.”

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Terra Cotta Invitational: Tennessee commit Caleb Surratt edges Georgia commit Maxwell Ford

Caleb Surratt, a 17-year-old headed to NC State, was able to finally put away Georgia-bound Maxwell Ford with 15-foot birdie putt on 18.

NAPLES, Fla. — Caleb Surratt had made just two bogeys and a double bogey in 47 holes of the 25th Terra Cotta Invitational presented by Workday.

But bogeys on Nos. 13 and 15 dropped him into a tie with Maxwell Ford with three holes to play.

Surratt, a 17-year-old headed to Tennessee, and Ford, an 18-year-old going to Georgia, struggled over the next couple of holes, and when Ford left a 40-foot birdie putt 10 feet short on No. 17 and missed it, Surratt carried a one-shot lead to the final hole at Naples National Golf Club on Sunday.

Surratt finished in style, draining a 15-foot birdie putt to win by two.

“It was definitely a tough finish for all of us — the wind started getting up,” Surratt said. “It’s a great finish with a birdie on 18; it felt really good. I’ve been working really hard for a long time and been close a lot of times, and it feels great to finally get it done.”

Ford made another bogey, so Surratt ended up with a two-shot victory at 3-under 213.

“Being tied with three holes and two holes to go, you can’t really ask for much more experience-wise,” Ford said. “You had a chance to win the tournament. I really don’t think I hit that many bad shots coming in.”

Surratt, who is from Indian Trail, North Carolina, was the only golfer in the field of 70 top amateurs to finish under par.

“One thing for me was realizing that I’ve played great golf all week — I think I’ve had the least bogeys in the field,” Surratt said. “When I make a bogey and initially be really mad, I would just try to keep the perspective that how great you’re really playing. You’re not throwing that many shots away, and just keep plugging along like you have been.”

Surratt, whose dad Brent was his caddie, had the lead from wire-to-wire, shooting a 3-under 69 in the first round, and going into the final round tied with 18-year-old Cohen Trolio. But he never gave it up.

“It kind of felt like he didn’t really miss a shot,” said Ford, who is from Peachtree Corners, Georgia.

Sunday wasn’t a good one for the Southwest Florida contingent, three of whom were in striking distance of the lead.

But James Tureskis of Florida State, who started in sixth, stumbled to a front-nine 49 on the way to an 85 and tied for 40th. Sam Kodak, an FSU commit, shot a 78 and tied for 16th. Jack Irons was in the top 10 with four holes to play but played them 5 over and finished 14th at 6-over 222. Ryan Hart, who plays for Florida, had the best round out of them, with a 2-under 70 to end up tied for 24th. He was one of only four players to break par in the final round.

Florida Gulf Coast University golfer Van Holmgren, coming off winning the ASUN tournament title Tuesday, ended up tying for 10th at 221 with an even-par 72.

Carl Santos-Ocampo, a former Community School and Notre Dame golfer, did have a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th from 169 yards with a 7-iron, and shot a 77 to tie for 40th.

Surratt birdied No. 9 to close a painstaking, three-hour front nine by the final group to take a three-shot lead to the back. And he seemed in control before the middle of the back nine when he went over the par-4 13th in two and couldn’t get up and down, then missed a 3-foot par putt on the par-5 15th.

Ford, whose twin brother David withdrew with a back injury, had caught a break on the hole when his third shot rolled into the collar of the green, and into rocks guarding the greenside water hazard, then caromed back where he could putt it. He two-putted to move into the tie.

On No. 16, a par 4, both players went over the green – Ford from the fairway and Surratt from the pine straw left. Neither got up and down.

On the par-3 17th, Ford’s shot ended up 40 feet away and left his birdie putt well short, and Surratt just missed his 15-footer.

Ford’s miss gave Surratt back the lead, and he played the 18th perfectly, laying up, and then hitting it to 15 feet.

Trolio, an LSU commit, went to the back nine tied with Ford at 2 under, but played the back nine 3 over to finish in third at 1-over 217 with former U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Scott Harvey.

Now Surratt goes back to high school to play in the state tournament series there, and plans on trying to qualify for the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship in a couple of weeks.

“I know I can compete on this level with my good golf,” Surratt said. “I have in previous amateur events. That makes it even better to get it done. We’ve worked on a lot of things that we thought would make the difference and they did this week so it feels amazing.”

Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/